Author's Note: The characters of this story belong to either Disney or J.K. Rowling. I own nothing.

Chapter 1

It was the last day of July, and it had come far too soon for Elsa Arendelle's liking. The seventeen-year-old girl peered out her bedroom window, the closest she could ever get to the outside world during the summer, and marveled at the beautiful summer scenery. The lush green grass dotted with bright flowers. The tall, noble trees bearing beautiful ripe fruits. Her younger sister Anna dancing merrily around laughing and singing to herself. It all screamed summer. Elsa smiled, longing to go outside and join Anna… But she couldn't and she knew it. She shut her curtains before Anna would see her and beckon for her to come out and join her. She was then left alone to think about how much more miserable it would be when school started.

School wouldn't be starting for the girls for another month and a day, but already it felt as though summer holidays had ended as soon as they'd started. Like most young people, Elsa always looked forward to the holidays, but not for the same reasons as her classmates. She couldn't have cared less about vacationing with her family or spending endless hours outside in the glorious sunlight. There was only one thing she truly loved about summer: it meant no school and it made it easier for her to conceal herself from people.

On the outside, Elsa Arendelle appeared to be a very fortunate young woman. Sometimes she would look in the mirror and even fool herself. There was nothing odd whatsoever about her reflection. Platinum blonde hair, large blue eyes, rosy cheeks. By most peoples' definitions she was beautiful. She was also highly intelligent, of good health, and a member of a wealthy and loving family. Any ordinary girl would be happy to be living the life she lived.

But Elsa was no ordinary girl. She was a witch. This of course was no secret, except to non-magical people known as muggles. Everyone who knew Elsa knew she embodied magical abilities. Her entire family was composed of witches and wizards. But what concerned her, and even more so her parents, was her magical talent of being able to control snow and ice. She could touch anything with her bare hands and it would instantly be covered in a sheet of ice. According to her parents, this rare gift was called glaciation and anyone who possessed it was called a glaciatous.

She had been born with this ability and it had caused great concern to her and her parents for as long as she could remember. She'd never minded as a child. In fact, she used to enjoy creating winter wonderlands for her and Anna to play in. But that was before the nearly fatal accident that almost cost poor Anna her life. Roughly ten years ago, when Elsa was eight and Anna was five, the two sisters were playing in Elsa's snow when she'd accidentally struck Anna in the head with a blast that knocked the young girl unconscious. Luckily the impact had not killed her, but Elsa was overcome with grief and guilt. Their parents performed a memory charm on Anna, modifying her memory and causing her to forget Elsa's glaciatous powers.

Elsa, out of fear of hurting anyone else, had limited her contact with people and hidden herself in her room. To keep her powers hidden, she would wear gloves that her parents had given her. "Conceal it," they would tell her. "Don't feel it. Don't let it show."

Three years later, Elsa had received her acceptance letter to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. At first she was reluctant to go. She knew she'd be away from her parents for a long time and it would be difficult to keep her powers hidden when there would be so many students around her. Her parents eventually convinced her that she would be fine as long as she wore the gloves. With that, she was off to start her Hogwarts career.

Even she had to admit that she'd done well at Hogwarts. She'd been sorted into Ravenclaw House upon arrival and had even made a few very good friends: Belle la Beaute and Rapunzel Bloom, two other Ravenclaw girls who were also considered social outcasts. Elsa felt safe near them, but not quite safe enough to reveal to them that she was a glaciatous. She kept it a secret even from them and always wore the gloves. The other students all thought she was weird because of this, especially the members of Slytherin House who looked down on nearly everyone except each other. With Belle and Rapunzel at her side, Elsa had gotten through her first three years at Hogwarts without letting her secret show. But her nerves increased drastically at the start of her fourth year, when Anna received her Hogwarts letter. Because of the years of being separated from her sister, Elsa simply couldn't allow herself to be as close to Anna as she was to Belle and Rapunzel. And the thought of them being together at the same school, and possibly being in the same house, had sent chills down Elsa's spine. Luckily for her, Anna had been sorted into Hufflepuff House and therefore the two sisters would eat at different tables in the Great Hall and sleep in different common rooms on completely different floors. Needless to say the age difference meant they'd never have classes together. Deep down, this had hurt Elsa, but she knew it made her sister all the more safe from her powers.

And now, Elsa was entering her final year at Hogwarts, whereas Anna was entering her fourth. This meant there was only one more year of the forced separation before Elsa would leave school and go onto greener pastures.

Her thoughts were suddenly cut short when she heard a knock at her bedroom door. Half surprised and half upset, she shouted, "Not now, Anna!"

"It's not Mistress Anna, Mistress Elsa," replied the squeaky voice of her family's house elf.

"Oh," said Elsa with a slight chuckle. She ran to the door, opened it, and looked down at the tiny pointy-nosed elf. "Sorry, Olaf."

"It's no problem, Mistress Elsa," the elf replied. "Olaf just wanted to let you know that the post has arrived and there's quite a bit for you." He held up two letters that were addressed to Elsa. "Olaf thinks one of them is your Hogwarts letter."

Elsa quietly took her mail and looked sadly at the top envelope. It was very heavy for a letter, as the Hogwarts letters tended to be, and was addressed to her in green ink.

"Thank you, Olaf," she said in a gloomy voice. She was just about to close the door when the elf began jumping frantically trying to stop her.

"Wait! Wait!"

Elsa looked at him.

Olaf smiled and held out his long, spindly arms. "Doesn't Olaf get a warm hug for his duties?"

Elsa chuckled. Olaf sure liked warm hugs. She knelt down and embraced the tiny creature. Olaf responded with a childishly innocent chuckle, waved goodbye, and ran off as fast as his small legs could carry him.

Elsa closed the door and walked over to her bed. Then she reluctantly opened her Hogwarts letter, already knowing what she'd find inside. As she'd expected, it was a reminder from Professors Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather, the deputy headmistresses of Hogwarts, that the next term was set to begin on September the first and that all students were to report to Platform 9 ¾ at King's Cross Station no later than 11:00 AM. There was also the list of supplies Elsa would need for her seventh year, including her spell books, new robes, and new cauldrons. To her surprise, there was a third paper enclosed in the envelope. She removed it and curiously read:

Dear Miss Arendelle,

Let us be the first to congratulate you. Your outstanding academic achievements and superior reputation as a student have earned you the title of Head Girl. This means you will have complete responsibility over all other Prefects, all other students, and be allowed to contribute whatever you wish to Hogwarts School. We hope that you will find pride in this task and that you will lead well. Please find enclosed in this letter your Head Girl badge. Wear it proudly and good luck.

Hoping you are enjoying your summer holidays,

Professors Flora, Fawna, and Merryweather.

Deputy Headmistresses.

Sure enough, Elsa found a blue and silver colored badge bearing the words "Head Girl" at the bottom of the envelope.

She felt her heart pounding madly in her chest. This couldn't be happening, it simply had to be a joke. Her? Head Girl? This was the last thing she'd ever wanted, or expected. Of all the prefect girls entering their seventh year, they had to pick Elsa, who constantly tried to avoid the spotlight while most of the others worked like crazy trying to leave their marks on the school? Elsa was already captain of the Ravenclaw Quidditch team and she'd already been forced to become a prefect against her will. This was the last thing she'd needed: another way to attract unwanted attention to herself.

She dropped the contents of her Hogwarts letter to the floor and, hoping to take her mind off of this nerve-racking news, reached for her second letter. Her mood brightened slightly when she saw the perfect handwriting of Belle la Beaute, her best friend and fellow Ravenclaw seventh-year. The letter read:

My dearest Elsa,

I hope you're enjoying your summer holidays as much as I have enjoyed mine. Papa and I have spent the past three weeks on holiday in Paris. It's so beautiful there. I hope to move there one day after we finish Hogwarts. I've nearly perfected the language. Don't be too surprised if it's all I speak when you see me in September. Which reminds me. I don't know if you've been in touch with Rapunzel, but we've made plans to meet at Diagon Alley in one week and to spend the rest of the holidays in the Leaky Cauldron. Please feel free to join us. We'd truly love to see you. If not, I'll see you on the Hogwarts Express.

Forever yours,

Belle.

This was certainly what Elsa had needed. Being able to spend her last few weeks of the summer holidays with the two people whom she felt safest to be near. She smiled for the first time in ages and stretched happily on her bed.

She knew this feeling would not last. She still had to go back to school afterwards. She'd still have to face another year of keeping a safe distance from Anna. And she'd still have to face the uncomfortable task of being Head Girl. But for now, none of that mattered. Just one week from now, she'd be back in the presence of her best, and only, friends.

End of Chapter